Thousands of dollars worth of reptiles taken in Long Beach pet store burglary

LONG BEACH - Police on Tuesday were still searching for a burglar who sneaked into a local pet shop and slithered away with thousands of dollars in snakes and other reptiles.

The burglary at LB Exotics pet shop was reported on Aug. 21, when owner David West arrived to find a cache of snakes and lizards missing from his business as well as cash and equipment, said Nancy Pratt, a Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman.

Officers were told the snakes and lizards, including high-end pythons, boa constrictors and bearded dragons, were worth several thousand dollars, Pratt said.

"It was determined that the burglary had occurred sometime between ... the night before and when the owner arrived at the store the following morning," Pratt said.

There was no sign of forced entry and the investigation remains active, Pratt said Monday.

West posted a sign on the front of his business at 2238 E. Seventh St. last week asking for the public's help in finding the missing critters.

"I'm just trying to keep the business alive at this point," he said, estimating the loss at nearly $20,000.

"We try to do everything to help others, treat people the way we would want to be treated ... when it gets to this point you start to ask yourself, `Is it worth it?"' the native Floridian said.

West moved to the Seventh Street location recently - though he's been in business in Long Beach since 2010 - and had yet to set up security cameras or an alarm system, he said.

After the burglary he discovered that a back gate to the property was unlocked; it is now padlocked. He has complained at length to his landlord that the backdoor does not lock properly, he said.

West also notified police of a potential suspect, who had made threats against West and his employees. That man returned to the business on Monday and threatened the staff, prompting a call to police for help, he said.

"Last night I finally got to sleep around 5 a.m.," he said. "It's just been exhausting."

Chief among his concerns are the animals, which require heat and live mice to survive.

"We're looking around at (other pet shops) where people might be buying large amounts of mice," West said.

West, however, said he has also seen great kindness in the community. A number of people have offered donations, either stopping in the business or contacting him via his shop's website, www.lbexotics.com, and Facebook page.

"The community has been very supportive," he said. "We might set up a Paypal account (online) so other people who want to help can donate."